Whether you need it for yourself or your child, short term or long term medications are often complicated. One important factor with questions related to medications is you have two different contacts to ask questions, the prescribing doctor and the pharmacist. Knowing which to ask questions will save you a lot of time and frustration! That’s why part 7 of this series is questions to ask about medications and whom to ask.
What to Ask the Doctor About Medications
Taking new medications can feel daunting, especially if it’s a medical issue you’ve been dealing with for a while. All you want to do is feel better, and fast. However, asking questions prior to taking anything will ease a little bit of that unknown and prepare you for this next step. Like other medical issues, medications will also have specific questions related to your prescription, but here are some overall questions to consider asking:
- What symptoms will this medication alleviate?
- How long will I need to take it?
- If this is a chronic or ongoing issue, will I need to take it again at some point?
- If you take other medications or supplements, does this medication interact poorly with any of those?
- What if the medication doesn’t help?
- Do I need a follow-up appointment after taking the medications to check in?
What to Ask the Pharmacist About Medications
It’s important to remember that the pharmacist is the person with training in all things related to medications. However, they do not know your medical background like your doctor does. They can help you with most questions related to the medication itself, but not necessarily with why you are taking the medication.
- How should I store this medication? Some medications need to be refrigerated or kept at certain temperatures.
- If you didn’t ask the doctor, you can also ask them about drug interactions with your other prescriptions.
- How much of this medication does my insurance cover? (This question is best posed to the staff at the pharmacy, not necessarily the pharmacist.)
- Is there a certain time of day I should take this medication?
- Do I need to take it with food?
- What are the side effects of this medication? Are there any warning signs for these symptoms I should look for?
Hopefully these questions – and their answers – give you more peace of mind. In the final part (8) of the series, which comes out in March, I’ll cover “Questions to Ask Your Own PCP (Primary Care Provider).” As busy moms, it’s important we take care of ourselves, too!
